The majority of people aged over 70 will be able to get Covid-19 vaccines directly from their own GP, but some may have to travel further for the jab.
People attending smaller GP practices may have to visit another clinic for their vaccine. New plans reveal that rural practices with fewer than 200 over 70s on the books will be teaming up with larger practices in their region to roll-out the scheme.
Around 400 practices in Ireland are reported to have fewer than 200 patients aged over 70. Patients whose GPs have joined the ‘buddying up’ system will have their vaccines administered by staff teams from their own practice, only in a different location.
Details of the roll-out plan were finalised between the HSE and the Irish Medical Organisation last night.
The plan will also see the creation of GP-run vaccination clinics in large urban areas. Hub clinics are to be agreed in Dublin, Cork and Galway to accommodate areas where there is a large number of smaller practices.
An estimated 70% of GP practices will be vaccinating their own patients in their own clinics.
Over 490,000 over 70s in the State are awaiting Covid-19 vaccines. The roll-out will begin on February 15th with 72,000 people over 85.
